Hi all just wanted to give all an update. Kastor’s Korner has a new home @ http://www.kastorskorner.com/ This week will see the long over due HML3 final review as well as DCUC wave one. We should also have some Mattel answers soon

I had several good Christmases as a kid. The year my sister and I got our NES with the “Back to the Future” game was pretty big, but the one that really stands out in my mind came when I was 6 or 7. My childhood Christmases always centered around whatever toy line I was really into that given year – be it GI Joe, Centurions, Dino-Riders, C.O.P.S. n’ Crooks, etc. But there was one particularly awesome Christmas that came as quite a surprise and delivered me what was to become my favorite childhood toy line of all time.

Quick bit of backstory – My dad has worked for the US Post Office his whole life. He started out as an electronics technician and progressively worked his way up the ladder. Throughout the 80s he spent a lot of time away from home, being sent to Oklahoma for weeks-long training courses (we lived in Florida). He would always return with a toy/present for me and my sister. On this particular Christmas, he was away at school in Oklahoma. It was the only Christmas he ever missed because of work and my mom was pretty upset that he couldn’t reschedule his course for after the holidays. Anyways, we decided to ‘postpone’ Christmas that year as a family until my dad got back home, so we didn’t open presents until mid-January.

I don’t remember exactly what I was into that year, probably LEGO or Silverhawks, but what I ended up with was a collection of toys I’d never heard of that my dad saw in Oklahoma and thought were really neat… The big reveal: STARCOM!

He got me the big white ship, the little white ship, and the big triangular black ship… and he got me the station that had the little elevator that went up and down when you magnetized a guy to it. Those toys blew me away, and it was so cool that it was something that my dad had just found and new I’d love. Later I discovered the morning cartoon, and throughout that year I pieced together most all of the line with my allowances, birthday’s, etc.

Hi, I have 2 very distinct memories. My Mom gave Paige and I a pair of flannel pjs. But Paige got the top and I got the bottoms, it was very funny; and we havent let her forget it. The second one is not necessarily a gift but the thought put into it. My Dad use to go and get us a gift just from him, I only really remember 2, but its something I havent forgotten. Now that he is gone, it makes the memory even sweeter, and something I hope we will do for Caleb and Ellie.

Shannon(my sister in-law)

That’s easy – my Marx Sam Cobra. I wanted him badly, and I remember
opening him on Christmas morning, thrilled to have him. I loved all the
Marx figures, but that one I remember particularly well.

My favorite Christmas present was a BMX bike. I remember how much I wanted this one particular bike but the man at the store told me he could not put training wheels on it. When I woke up that morning for Christmas my bike was there with the training wheels. I woke up at 4 am and rode that bike in my house till 7 am. I was so exhausted from riding that bikes that I went back to bed when everyone else was getting up.

This is the newest offering from the JLU line, bringing this long living line in closer to completion.Grodd was one of the main bad guys on the JLU show and now we have him to add to the growing roster of villains for the Justice League to square off against.

The main feature in this box set is the Gorilla Grodd.Grodd was an ape who came in contact with a meteor during the 19th century.This gave him and his fellow apes both super intellegence and, in some cases like Grodd and his adversary Solovar, telekinesis and telepathy.Grodd and Solovar clashed time and time again for the great Gorilla City.When Solovar was captured by humans and brought to Central City, Grodd saw an opportunity to not only take over Gorilla City but also the world.This plan put him in the scope of the Flash and brought Grodd into The Flash’s Rogue Gallery.Over and over the Flashes of many generations would come to blows with this foe.Over time Grodd’s abilities have grown, developing both his mental abilities as well as his telekinesis.Most figures in the JLU line have issues standing, but like the other larger figures Grodd has no problems at all.The figure has an amazing sculpt, really bringing to life the cartoon character.The figure is well painted and the detail on his face brings that sly look of the criminal mastermind to life.

The other new edition to this box set is the Red Hood.This figure is a simple repaint of the Joker.The new part of the figure is the addition of a large red dome and cape.The largest problem is that you can not see the Joker’s face before you buy the box set.After opening the set and taking off the hood this Joker looks like Crazy Eyes from Mr. Deeds.Given a profile view the Joker looks great but if you look at this figure straight on his eyes are looking in completely different directions.

Overall a solid set for both collectors and parents.Hopefully this will not be the last, and Mattel will continue box sets to get us larger characters.